Greek protesters clashed with police and set fire to cars and a hotel in central Athens on Wednesday as tens of thousands marched against austerity measures aimed at pulling the country out of a debt crisis. Riot police answered with dozens of rounds of teargas in clashes that lasted more than an hour, with police chasing hooded youths who threw sticks and stones.
Nationwide strike grounds flights for 24 hours Hours earlier, parliament approved reforms and spending cuts that are a condition of a 110-billion-euro ($150-billion) EU/IMF bailout, offered to Greece in exchange for austerity measures. Striking public and private sector workers had already grounded flights, shut down schools and paralysed public transport and about 40,000 marched through the capital. Some shouted: "Revolt! Overturn government measures!"
As the march reached parliament, about 200 leftists attacked former conservative minister Kostis Hatzidakis with their fists, stones and sticks, shouting: "Thieves! Shame on you!" Reuters witnesses said his face was covered in blood as he took shelter in a building. Police said at least 10 people were detained and three injured.
Three cars on Syntagma Square were in flames, while one luxury hotel balcony was on fire after petrol bombs were thrown. Smoke and teargas covered the square and bystanders scrambled frantically to safety. The 300-seat house voted into law measures that cut wages in state-owned bus and railway companies and weakened the power of collective bargaining to allow company-level deals to prevail.
Ships remained docked at ports, hospitals were working on skeleton staff and ministries shut down as civil servants and private sector workers stayed away. With public transport crippled, major roads to the centre of Athens were jammed as motorists struggled to get to work. With journalists joining the strike, there was no news on TV or radio stations. Prime Minister George Papandreou expelled a deputy from his parliamentary team for failing to back the government in the vote.
But his party still commands a comfortable 156 votes, with more belt-tightening ahead in the 2011 budget next week. Workers were also due to rally against austerity in other countries on Wednesday, including Spain and Belgium, ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.